Mavericks' blatant steal of a signing is somehow still being shockingly ignored

The Dallas Mavericks stole the show at the 2025 NBA Draft, as they selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick about a month and a half after winning the NBA Draft Lottery while only having a 1.8 percent chance of doing so. Despite the initial fear from fans that Nico Harrison would explore trading the first pick, Dallas was locked in on drafting Flagg almost immediately after the draft lottery, and they made that clear ahead of the draft.

Despite the warranted excitement that surrounded the Mavs drafting Flagg, they also made an excellent move immediately after the second round of the draft by signing Ryan Nembhard to a two-way deal. Ryan Nembhard is the brother of Andrew Nembhard, but there is much more to his game than being a sibling of the Indiana Pacers' playoff hero.

The Mavericks' Ryan Nembhard signing has flown way too far below the radar, and he is going to have the chance to show the world what he can do beginning this Thursday, as Dallas will battle the Los Angeles Lakers in their first game of Summer League. Nembhard was easily one of the best undrafted players available after the second round, and the Mavs struck gold by signing him.

Mavericks' Ryan Nembhard signing is already being criminally underrated

Last season at Gonzaga, Nembhard averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting a career-high 44.6 percent from the field and a career-high 40.4 percent from downtown. Nembhard made huge strides as a 3-point shooter in his final season as a Bulldog, as he went from shooting 32.1 percent as a junior to over 40 percent as a senior. After Summer League practice on Tuesday, Nembhard noticed that this improvement came due to some mechanical tweaks, as well as taking better shots.

His 3-point shooting off the dribble and the catch is going to help the Mavericks immediately, but his imminent impact in Dallas will stretch far beyond just his shooting.

Mavs Summer League head coach Josh Broghamer spoke glowingly of Nembhard after practice on Tuesday, saying that he has been "incredible" so far. Broghamer said that Nembhard played well while playing some five-on-five with some Mavs veterans recently, including Jaden Hardy, P.J. Washington, and Naji Marshall, with his ability to make the correct reads being what stood out most. Nembhard already excelling as a floor general next to his new teammates is excellent news when it comes to his potential role as a rookie, and his uniqueness compared to the other guards on the roster could pay off when they need to try a new look within the offense.

Broghamer went as far to say that Ryan Nembhard is even tougher than his brother Andrew, and that is something that Mavs fans will realize right away. He works hard on both ends of the floor, and he wants to do whatever he can to help his team win.

With the Mavericks deciding not to trade for a guard, and only signing D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to hold them over until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear, Nembhard could get thrown into the fire right away. This is fairly uncommon for two-way signings, as they typically don't play real minutes early in the season, but with Russell, Exum, and Brandon Williams being the only other trusted ball handlers, he could have a role out of the gate.

While he is a bit undersized at 6-foot-even, Nembhard's ability as a floor general and passer is intriguing for being a rookie. His 344 assists last season (9.8 per game) ranked fifth all-time in NCAA for a single season, and he is truly one of the best passers of any rookie in the NBA.

Dallas now has two of the best rookie passers in the league on their roster with Flagg and Nembhard, and his passing and steady hand when running the show could help him inch toward being a staple of the rotation as a rookie. Flagg even called Nembhard an "incredible passer" after practice, and he made it clear that he is excited to play alongside him.

With Dallas' injury luck recently, especially in their guard room with serious injuries to Exum and Irving over the years, one injury could thrust Nembhard into being someone who has a role in the rotation. They badly need more playmaking with the way the roster is currently constructed, and that just happens to be where he thrives.

His smooth handle, quickness, and selfless passing makes him unique compared to other guards on the roster, and fans will have a much better feel for where he'll fall in the rotation after watching him at Summer League.

His comfortability and expertise in the pick and roll is also intriguing, as Dallas has two of the top rim-rolling bigs in the West in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and he proved that he can make the right decision in these situations over and over again while at Gonzaga. Time will tell how big of a role Nembhard actually plays as a rookie, but Mavericks fans should be excited about his potential.